Cutting machine



Feb. 8, 1949. J. STUART, 11 2,460,954

- CUTTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet I JOSEPH STUARTIT ATTORNEY Feb. 8, 1949. J, STUART, I 2,460,954

CUTTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w' hw l F23 FIG.4

JOSEPH STUART III IN VENTOR.

HY B. W

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 8, 1949 War ap ucauonisepteuiter 5, 1m; se iiarnereiasii 'ICiaims: (01. 164-48") comprises a table adapted to support andguid preformed plastic material before the cutterfa cutter reciprocally actuated by a suitable mech anism such as a power press, a material-holding die situated directly adjacent to the path, of travelof the cutter, a material-feeding mechanisni with; indexing control actuated synchonicall'y withre H is incrementlyl-pushed through the" die 18 by spect to the reciprocation of the cutter andapparatus designed to facilitate the control of the description and is shown in-the accompanying drawings forming a part of the'specifloatiomt wherein reference symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention with the; eutter'anda upper portion of the press removed substantially along the line llof Fig. 2; v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention with the cutting mechanism in anelevated' po'sition;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation as viewed fromthe right inFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation as viewed-from'thei,

right of another embodiment of the invention having a capacity for a plurality of'plas'tic bars.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a press 9 ofeonventional type has a base it) and column l l forminga throat in which a ram I2 is vertically reciprocat-- ed. A bolster plate l3 supported-by the column ii is disposed beneath the ram 12 'tofor-m a suit-'- able work space for the invention herein described.

A feed table l4, secured to the bolster plate 13 and in proper alignment with a lower platen ti secured to the upper surface ofbolster p late i3,

push and ts; suitably"attached betweentheparal' ll strands Of ildlss chains '20. Thedihaills 2 0 are strung" ongsprookets" 21 rigidly mounted in pairs are frorit shaft Hand on a 'rear shares,

which sha'fts arein turn mounted inf-rotatable ma'nnenin journals of front bearing' posts' zl'l 'and' rear bearingpests 2'15, respectively. The front shaft 22-is'index'ed in desired increments bysuitable means,iapreferred embodiment being he used a one-wa "clutch -26 secured to an extensionof none shaft 22 and inoremently actuated in the"='dirwtion of the arrow in Fig. '2 by "an" at-' tached" spring lever 21. The motionj'of "the spring level- 2:! in the opposite "direction indicated by the arrow "in" Fig: 2 i would not'fbe transmitted to the hem shaft-2Q byvirtue "of the operationof the one-way clutch 26, famili'arto those skilled in the art. A cam follower 28 attached 'tofla ratchet lever 29' follows the contour'of aeam block 3'0 affixd' to the upper platen 3]; Asthe thr'owfof "the' c'am block 30 is contacted-on the upstroke of the "ram' l 'i', mdti'o'nis imparted to the one way-clutch' 2'6 bythe'spring lever- 21f {in spring loaded: attachment to the ratchet-lever 29." The tam; foil'owl 2 8 215 keptin' contact with the ca m"block-.-3llby the constant tension exams onthedower portion of the 'ratchet leve'r 29 113 'al'tel'ision-spring 32, the fixed end-6f whi'ch' is' attaChedtOti-ieieid table l-l'. The latchfi lever" fl is pivota-lly mounted on front shaft 221 "The" arm of sprlng 'l'ever "2T-is heldin spring lo'a'ded' attachment toa lug of ratchet lever 29' by the force-of compression spring :33 held thereon;

'A trip lever '34" is momentarily raised' as the push rods l9 make contact in their' co'u e Qf travel and being rigidly secured to a trip sh '35' mountedin' rotatable manner in miners in rear beering' zpo 5" motion is transmitted'to catch direction away from-catch 31, 'a'lldwin'g tms'membe: and attached operatinglever 38' pivotal-1y" lever "36;" "Ihedroppin'g of th'e operating lever flflat the point of attachment of the catch 31 will raise a press "control rod 40 on th oppositesid Hfb'y Suite of 'pivct liloek {stapling themotion of th ram means.

'l'he 'recrppcating motion of'ram [land at serves as support and in conJunction-withguidei' tachw cutter erig'idly'secured to the trip shaft 351" The motion of catch lever 35" will" be ina actuated motion of push rods I9, is thus brought to a standstill until such a time as the operator desires to place additional plastic sticks ll before the push rods 19 and start the cutting operation. The catch 31 is raised into a position of engagement with the catch lever 36 at the discretion of the operator, thus bringing the press. control rod 40 into operating position. .The operating lever 38 is limited in its vertical travel and horizontal movement is prevented by guide 42.

Guide posts 43 aid in mantaining correct alignment of the reciprocating upper platen 3| and attached cutter 4| with the side of die I8.

o'f'the cutter as the end of the stick is approached,

and manual meansfor starting the actuation of The cutting edge of cutter 4| operates with optimum clearance along the face of dieiii. A chute 44 guides the sliced plastic material into a catch box 45. are supported at the outer extremity by port 46.

Another embodiment of the invention is shownin ,Fig. 4 which illustrates the adaptabilityof the invention for cutting a plurality of sticks. In order to accommodate a plurality of sticks, the-number ofguide bars i6 has been increased to correspond with the number of sticks being cut atone time. An enlarged die 41 is of such length as to contain an increased number of openings to accommodate the plurality of sticks, and other parts similar in design and function to those described in the preferred embodiment a" sup Feed table 14 and attachedmechanism thecutter.

.--2; The cutting machine according to claim 1 wherein said means for incremently advancing the stick includes a push bar supported between "parallel strands of endless chain mounted on Y sprockets and advanced incremently behind the Referring to the drawings, the various features of the present invention have been shown embodied in av mechanical press, but it will be other ltypes ofpresses, such as. hydraulic or oildraulic. The preferred embodiment as described above, has been found to perform very satisfactorily in the cutting of cruciform smokeless powder sticks. The resultant slices were found to be negligibly deformed andv of uniformthickness. In loading the machine, St-iCkS W81'e laid upon the feed table and guide bar by the operator. The powder sticks being of irregular lengths, asuificient number of sticks were laid end to end extending from the die to the push rod to take full advantage of the travel of saidpush rods before the cutting and feeding operations were started by the operator. r

This invention has distinct advantages, one

being the cutting of preformed plastic bars;

length, it can readily be seen that this machineis of infinite value in the cutting of this material. Moreover, in the cutting of plastic materials 'of a hazardous nature, such as smokeless powder, the; automatic features of the machine may be of the invention,

preformed plastic stick by indexing mechanism applied to a sprocket shaft and deriving movementfrom a cam mounted on the cutter actuating means.

3. The cutting machine according to claim 1 wherein said cutter actuating means includes a press with a vertically reciprocating ram forming a cutter support and a ibolster plate forming a continuation of the work support.

4. In a cutting machine having a work support and aicutter support the combination of a cutter for cutting at least one cruciform smokeless powder stick, a stick holding means, cutter actuating means, means for incremently advancing the stick in synchronism with the cutter actuating means, means for automatically stopping the actuation of the cutter as the end of the stickis approached, and manual means for starting the actuation of the cutter.

5. The cutting machine according to claim 6 wherein said means for incremently advancing the cruciform smokeless powder stick includes a push bar behind the stick, said bar being supported between parallel strands of endless chain mounted on sprockets and advanced incremently by indexing mechanism applied to a sprocket shaft and deriving movement from a cam mountedon the cutter actuating means.

Y 6.: In a cutting machine having a work support with at least, one guide strip adapted to guide a cruciform plastic stick the combination of a power press with a single blade cutter rigidly attached to the ram, 2. die adapted to guide and hold atleast one cruciform plastic stick While being; cut,.said die being adjacent to the path oftravel of the cutter, at least one push bar supported between parallel strands of endless chain advanced incremently behind the cruciform plastic stick to push said stick forward in synchronism with the actuation of the cutter, means for stopping the actuation of the cutter and in turn the push bar as the end of the cruci'-,

form plasticstick is approached, and manual means'for starting the actuation of the cutter and push bar;

7; Ina cutting machine having a work support 6 chronism with the actuation of the cutter, means I for stopping the actuation of the cutter and in REFERENCES CITED t n th push b as th d of th cruciform The following references are of record in the plastic sticks are approached, and manual means file f th P ent for starting the actuation of the cutter and 5 push bar.

UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH'STUART, 11. er Name 1 Date 2,209,412 Lupo July '30, 1940 

